It is likely to become a direct power source for SpaceXAI’s data centers.
Elon Musk acquired APR Energy earlier this year, adding a new business to his portfolio: fossil fuels. APR produces mobile gas and diesel turbines that can be mounted on trailers. This move happened quietly in May, with no public announcement or statement from Musk or APR itself. Electrek only took over the matter yesterday and estimates the value of the purchase at around $1 billion.
The most likely application for this purchase will be powering AI data centers. Producing all this NSFW content takes a lot of energy. APR’s mobile fleet is similar to the turbines that Musk’s xAI was sued for use in a data center in Southaven, Mississippi, for violating the Clean Air Act. Since this complaint was filed, the number of mobile wind turbines in the data center has increased significantly. The Justice Department is attempting to have the complaint dismissed so that the U.S. military can continue to use xAI’s Grok for operations.
Investing in gasoline and diesel marks a complete reversal from the game Musk talked about a decade ago, when he called the continued use of fossil fuels “the stupidest experiment in history, by far.” His company could make that experience even worse by building a gas pipeline in Texas.
